Effects of diethylstilbestrol diphosphate on serum and tissue ribonuclease levels in prostatic carcinoma.

Thirty-six patients with prostatic carcinoma and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were studied. Transurethral resection (TUR) was performed in all, and serum and tissue ribonuclease (RNase) levels were determined with the spectrophotometric method using yeast RNA as the substrate. In patients with untreated prostatic carcinoma, statistically significant increased RNase levels were found in serum and tissue. Treatment with diethylstilbestrol diphosphate (DESDP) led to a decrease in RNase levels. In the same patients RNase serum levels after DESDP treatments also showed a parallel decrease with serum prostatic acid phosphatase (sPAP) levels. We have concluded that the serum RNase measurement may be useful for TNM classification and immunostaging.